Champions Stakes (VRC)

The VRC Champions Stakes, registered as the LKS Mackinnon Stakes, is a Victoria Racing Club Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race run under Weight for Age conditions over a distance of 2000 metres at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Australia on the last day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, the Saturday after the Melbourne Cup. Total prize money is A$3,000,000.

The race is named after a former chairman of the Victoria Racing Club, Lauchlan Kenneth Scobie ("L. K. S.") MacKinnon (1861–1935). It was originally held on the first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Victoria Derby Day. In 2016, the VRC moved the race as the feature of the last day of the carnival, and moved the Cantala Stakes (the then feature of the last day of the carnival and at the time known as the Emirates Stakes) to the first day of the carnival. After the swap, the race would be known as simply the Emirates Stakes until 2017. The attendance record for the race day was set in 2011, with 85,112 in attendance.

Year Winner Age Jockey Trainer Owner Time 2000 Oliver Twist 6 Greg Childs Brian Mayfield Smith Gainsborough Lodge Syndicat 2:04.48 2001 La Bella Dama 4 Scott Seamer Graeme Rogerson Mrs C & Mrs D Howell et al 2:01.57 2002 Lonhro 4 Darren Beadman John Hawkes Woodlands Stud 2:02.64 2003 Casual Pass 3 Glen Boss Peter Morgan Contract Racing Syndicate 2:05.86 2004 Grand Armee 6 Damien Oliver Gai Waterhouse A R Bell 2:00.91 2005 Lad of the Manor 6 Greg Childs Simon Stout David Thomas & Lorraine Smith 2:01.72 2006 Desert War 6 Chris Munce Gai Waterhouse Gooree Pastoral Company 2:02.38 2007 Sirmione 4 Peter Mertens Bart Cummings Xipell, Covington & Smith 2:02.32 2008 Theseo 5 Nash Rawiller Gai Waterhouse Mike Townsend, P Evans et al 2:03.84 2009 Scenic Shot 7 Shane Scriven Dan Morton D L Morton, E A Galante et al 2:03.46 2010 So You Think 4 Steven Arnold Bart Cummings Dato Tan Chin Nam 2:04.92 2011 Glass Harmonium 6 Damien Oliver Mike Moroney R & C Legh Racing, Lorne Bloodstock 2:02.72 2012 Alcopop 8 Craig Williams Jake Stephens J A Stephens, J P & Mrs S K Kelton et al 2:01.26 2013 Side Glance 7 Jamie Spencer Andrew Balding Pearl Bloodstock 2:03.59 2014 Happy Trails 7 Damien Oliver Paul Beshara Peter & Erica Dickmann 2:02.28 2015 Gailo Chop 5 Ben Melham Antoine De Watrigant OTI Management, Werrett Bloodstock et al 2:03.56 2016 Awesome Rock 5 Stephen Baster Leon & Troy Corstens Stan Saric, Mrs J C Saric et al 2:02.49 2017 Tosen Stardom 7 Damian Lane Darren Weir Australian Bloodstock, Doonaree Racing et al 2:01.22 2018 Trap For Fools 5 John Allen Jarrod McLean Distinct Racing 2:02.31 2019 Magic Wand 5 Ryan Moore Aidan O'Brien Tabor, Smith & Magnier 2:01.82 2020 Arcadia Queen 5 Luke Currie Grant & Alana Williams Peters Investments Pty Ltd 2:03.53 2021 Zaaki 7 James McDonald Annabel Neasham C E Holt et al. 2:02.94 2022 Zaaki 8 Jamie Kah Annabel Neasham C E Holt et al. 2:02.00 2023 Atishu 6 James McDonald Chris Waller A J A Bosma, Mrs P J Clark et al. 2:02.01